Happy Birthday, Steve Rogers
by AlonaMorning
Summary: AU After years of somber birthdays, Steve Rogers celebrates his 95th birthday with an enemy turned friend. But is that all they're meant to be? #Stoki #FrostShield
1. Part 1

_This is one part of the extreme AU that has been playing in my mind for a couple of months. At the heart of it, Loki has returned to Earth after it's discovered that he wasn't completely responsible for his actions in Thor and The Avengers. In order to help him reform his ways, S.H.I.E.L.D. has taken him in and Steve Rogers has become a vital part of his progress._

 _There's a lot more running around in my head, so if people seem to enjoy this story then maybe I will commit more of the story to digital text. Happy reading!_

* * *

"Good morning, Washington DC," the clock radio blared into the quiet bedroom, "and Happy Fourth of July!"

Steve sighed at the reminder of the date. _Who would believe that Captain America was actually born on the fourth of July_? Birthdays had been a somber affair ever since his mother died and had been entirely forgotten in the year after he came out of the ice, but this year promised to be different. Last week, Loki had told him to keep his evening open: no S.H.I.E.L.D missions, no Captain America appearances, no hiding in his room. Loki made him promise and when Steven asked him why, he'd replied "Agent Hill has been teaching me about Midgardian birthday celebrations. I will take care of everything."

In spite of himself, Steve grinned as a wave of gratitude swept through him. No matter what, today would be interesting; Loki would make sure of that. Ready to face the day, he pulled himself out of bed and headed into the kitchen to make breakfast. Steve turned into the kitchen and froze when he saw that breakfast was already underway.

Loki stood at the stove with two frying pans going at once, an expression of serious concentration on his face. Steve leaned against the doorway to enjoy the sight of his demigod roommate making breakfast. He watched Loki flipping pieces of French toast and bacon and tried to reconcile this Loki with the Loki who had attempted to subjugate Earth and its people. _Yeah that's not going to happen._

Steve chuckled. "When did you learn how to make something that involves the stovetop?"

Loki's head snapped up and he grinned. "It's amazing what you can learn from a simple Google search." He stepped away from the stove and enveloped Steve in an affectionate hug. "Happy Birthday, Captain."

The first time Loki had hugged him, Steve had tensed, ready to fend off an attack, but now he returned the hug with ease. He had taken for granted how physical Bucky and the Howling Commandos had been: quick to toss their arm around a fellow soldier's shoulder or give a hearty pat on the knee. The modern S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were more reserved and Steve hadn't realized how much he missed the friendly touches until Loki had come into his life. Like the Commandos, Asgardians warriors were prone to physical displays of fraternal affection and as Loki and Steve had grown close, the touches had become a commonplace part of their friendship.

He gave his dark haired roommate final squeeze as Loki gave him a couple firm pats on the back. "If I'd known you were making breakfast, I'd have slept in."

Loki pulled back with a doubtful snort. "No you wouldn't," he stepped back over to the stove, "plus, I had no intention of bringing you your breakfast."

Steve took a seat at the kitchen bar. "And here I thought breakfast in bed was standard for a birthday."

"Don't press your luck, Rogers," Loki kidded, handing him a cup of coffee.

Steve took a sip of the coffee and smiled into his cup. _Just the way I like it, as always._ "So what are your plans today?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"Oh no you don't," Loki chided, dishing out two plates. "You are going to go visit Peggy, do your S.H.I.E.L.D. duties, and be back here and prepared to go out at 7 pm sharp." He handed Steve his breakfast and sat down beside him, bumping him with his shoulder. "Now shut up and eat your breakfast."

Steve saluted with his fork and cut into his French toast, eager to see if the demigod had managed to pull off breakfast. He popped the first bite and sighed as the half-forgotten flavor of homemade French toast flooded his mouth. He took another bite and the pair settled into an easy quiet.

As Steve ate his birthday breakfast, he marveled at how different this comfortable quiet was to the unbearable silence that had once filled the apartment. In the months before Loki had moved in, Steve had hated coming back to the D.C. apartment because it reminded him how alone he was in this new unfamiliar world. Living alone in that apartment had been a silent reminder that everyone he knew was long dead or so changed by time that he barely recognized them.

All that changed because of Loki. If someone had told Steve nine months ago when Thor had landed on Earth with a changed, penitent Loki, that the demigod would become a welcome and permanent fixture in his life and home, he wouldn't have believed them. But through some bizarre twist the reformed villain was become a friend and more. Loki had become the someone else that Steve had been missing. The sounds of him getting ready in the morning, his endless stacks of books, the subtle brush of his arm against Steve's as they walked together, his shoes and jacket by the door, each one a little reminder to reassure him he had someone in this world. Even now, the subtle warmth of Loki's leg not quite touching his, the sound of his fork against the plate, the smell of his soap, subtly different from his own, were all there to remind Steve that he was no longer alone.

Steve stole a peek at Loki out of the corner of his eye, bent over a book and nibbling on a piece of bacon, and smiled to himself. He must have felt Steve's eyes on him because he gave him a toothy grin.

"How's your breakfast?"

Steve popped a bit of bacon into his mouth. "The powers and knowledge of Google continue to amaze me. Everything is delicious."

Loki's face lit up with smug satisfaction. "Excellent." He glanced at the clock. "Now I better be off or I'm going to be late. Don't even think about doing the dishes," he scolded. "I'll do them later." He grabbed his bag and stepped around the bar to stand at Steve's side. "I will see you back here ready to go at 7 pm sharp or there will be hell to pay."

"Yes, sir," Steve teased, turning to look up at Loki. He stared down at Steve with his ever mischievous blue-green eyes.

Familiar warmth bloomed in Steve's chest and with it the overwhelming urge to reach up kiss Loki. Side by side like this, it seemed almost natural for him to wrap his arm around Loki's waist or for Loki to lean down and kiss him goodbye. He stared up at Loki and felt his face flush. Steve could see it in his mind's eye and for an instant he considered giving into the unexpected desire, but he squashed it down.

He swallowed roughly. "Thanks for breakfast, by the way," he said, breaking the silence, his voice a little breathless.

Loki blinked several times and nodded. "You are most welcome." His voice had an odd note in it as he made his way towards the door. "I'll see you tonight. Don't be late." And with that he was gone.

Heart still pounding, Steve cleared his own breakfast dishes and tried to forget that he'd fantasized about kissing his roommate. _We're close and thoughts like that are bound to happen, it doesn't mean anything._


	2. Part 2

_What happens when Steve's first love has an unexpected suggestion about his future happiness?_

* * *

Steve laughed as Peggy told an animated story of the Commandos drinking the contents of an abandoned bar and the antics that had followed. She was having a 'good' day and could talk about the old days without reliving the loss of him all those years ago. _A birthday present I certainly wasn't expecting._

"They knew how to have a good time," Steve said, wiping his eyes.

"They were a rowdy bunch, for sure," she said with a small chuckle, her eyes growing wistful, "but, they always fought and watched out for me like you were still there, keeping an eye all of us. You were never forgotten, Steve."

Steve's heart clenched, at the mention of the time that had been taken from him. "And I'll never forget them," he squeezed Peggy's hand, mindful of her frailty, "or you."

She gave him a teary smile and shook her head. "Enough of this dismal talk; it's your birthday. We should be discussing happy things." She patted his hand. "Any big plans for your -" she trailed off, searching for the number.

"Ninety-fifth," Steve provided, rolling his eyes.

"Your ninety-fifth birthday?" she finished. "Maybe a big date?" Steve scoffed and her face fell. "Please tell me that you're doing something to celebrate."

Steve took both her hands in his. "I promise I will not be moping around the apartment like I did last year. Loki has something planned, but he refuses to tell me what he's got up his sleeve."

A playful twinkle lit up her eyes at the mention of the demigod. "Well, the legends do refer to him as the God of Mischief," she teased before giving him a thoughtful look. "I'm glad you found each other; you've been good for one another."

Steve nodded as she echoed his thoughts from earlier. "I would have never believed it myself, but he's a good friend to me and I'm grateful for him in my life."

Peggy's brows furrowed before she decided something with a nod. "Have you ever wondered if you could be more?" She hastened on before he could interrupt. "I've seen the way you two eye each other, the little affectionate touches, the easy way you sit squished together on that ridiculous little loveseat."

"We're friends, close friends." Steve protested even as the moment in the kitchen flashed in his memory.

"I only wonder if you could be more if you wanted" she urged, squeezing his hand. "Loki adores you and I think if you let yourself - " she trailed off, leaving the words unsaid.

Steve opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out. At Peggy's words, an image of Loki and him watching a movie together popped into his mind. Their hands sat clasped between them and when Loki glanced over at him, Steve shifted closer to the demigod and pressed a sweet kiss onto those smirking lips.

"Steve?" Peggy's voice brought Steve back to himself.

"It's not that simple, Peggy," Steve sputtered, as the blood rose in his cheeks, "even if I did feel that way."

She crossed her hands across her lap. "I fail to see what's so complicated about it?"

Steve leaned forward on his elbows, still at a loss for words. "It's just-" His words hung in the air as he scrambled for some way to explain why it was a ridiculous suggestion.

Peggy's face softened at his discomfort. "You've never thought about it before?" She waited for answer, but Steve avoided her eyes. "I know it's a lot to take in, but please think about it. At least take the time to give real consideration to the possibility." She ran her hand through his hair. "Our chance was unjustly stolen from us, Steve, but that doesn't mean you have to let love and happiness pass you by."

Steve looked up at her, his head spinning. "Why are you pushing this, Peg?"

"Because it's your birthday," Peggy said with a tender smile, "and if anyone deserves to be happy, it's you, Steve Rogers."

"And a demigod who tried to enslave the earth is supposed to make me happy?" Steve asked with a wry grin.

Peggy patted him on the cheek. "You haven't seen Loki like that for a long time and you know it. And, yes, I think he could make you happy, if you let him."


	3. Part 3

_Steve wrestles with questions that could change his relationship with a certain dark haired supervillian._

* * *

Stretched out beside Loki on a checkered picnic blanket, Steve tried to calm the anxious knot in his chest without any success. He could feel the warmth of Loki's arm next to his, the familiar almost touch now electrified by Peggy's suggestion.

At first, he'd dismissed it outright; this was Loki they were talking about, a reformed alien supervillain, but then he'd forced himself to consider it.

Steve had played back their friendship in his mind. Those first uneasy days when two inches of shatterproof glass had separated them. The trepidation and hope he'd felt the first time S.H.I.E.L.D. had allowed Loki to accompany him out on his morning runs. Their first "field trip" to the Museum of Natural History. Rushed motorcycle rides to the Triskelion, trying to get Loki back before his curfew. The happiness Steve had felt when Loki had jumped at the chance to move in with him and his shock when Fury had agreed. Takeout on the couch as they binged on Earth culture together. Memory after memory filled his head, every quiet morning and easygoing dinner proving how they fit together, how much they'd come to depend on another.

It was easy to see that he cared for Loki, there was no question about that, but did he want them to be more? Steve let himself wonder what it would be like to be able to touch Loki whenever he wanted and to be touched in return. He imagined what it would be like to kiss those full, smirking lips, to bury his hands in that silky black hair. He thought about being able to give into the urge he'd felt in the kitchen that morning and it made his stomach twist as if he gone over the top of a rollercoaster, thrilled and anxious all at once.

 _I want him, I want Loki._ The realization had settled like a dead weight in Steve's chest. He'd been making excuses to Peggy when he'd said it was complicated, but it was. Loki was still considered a S.H.I.E.L.D. captive and Steve had sworn to Fury that he would watch over the demigod to ensure he didn't pose a threat. How could he do that if he was dating Loki? S.H.I.E.L.D. would never allow it. They would say he was compromised and they'd be right. In fact, Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Avengers would probably assume Steve was under some evil spell if it ever came out that he'd fallen for the dark haired supervillain.

And more than that, Steve had no way of knowing if Loki felt the same way. Peggy seemed pretty certain, but he couldn't be sure. Yes, Loki had planned an amazing birthday for him: a homemade breakfast, a steak and oyster dinner on Capitol Hill followed by fireworks on the Mall, but he'd done all that as a friend. Steve had watched him all throughout dinner for some subtle sign that Loki wanted more, but it wasn't there. They were friends, very close friends, and that was all.

By the end of dinner his birthday dinner, Steve had decided that it was better to have Loki as a friend rather than risk complicating things with what was, without a doubt, a one-sided attraction.

Unfortunately, his new found attraction could not be forgotten so easily. Lying next to Loki, under the Capitol fireworks, his mind kept wandering back to enticing visions of holding and kissing the demigod. Steve's fingers almost twitched with the urge to take Loki's hand in his own.

Unable to help himself, he glanced at Loki as a large firework exploded in the sky. Loki felt his eyes and turned to face him. Confronted with those mischievous blue-green eyes, awash in the light of the fireworks, Steve's resolve vanished. Forgetting about all the reasons that it was a bad idea, Steve leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on Loki's lips.

Loki sucked in a breath and froze. Steve instantly regretted his action. "I'm so sorry -" he mumbled, pulling away.

A disbelieving grin exploded on to Loki's face. "Oh do shut up," he took Steve's chin in his hand. "I've been wanting to do that for ages." Tilting his head, Loki traced a gentle kiss across Steve's lips.

Relief washed over Steve, as endorphins rushed through his system. He shifted closer to Loki, winding his fingers into the black strands behind his ear. Loki made a small satisfied noise and Steve smiled into the kiss, savoring his soft, full lips. _I can't believe this happening._

Loki pulled back, still smiling. "Now that we have that resolved," he whispered, a little breathless, "let's get back the fireworks." Stealing another kiss, Loki settled back into the blanket, now close enough to Steve that their shoulders were resting together.

Heart pounding in his ears, Steve turned back to the multicolored sky and took Loki's hand in his, lacing their fingers together.


	4. Part 4

_Fireworks and taking things slow._

* * *

Steve put his key in the door, acutely aware of Loki standing a behind him. After the fireworks, they had packed up their picnic blanket in silence, the space between them rippling with possibility. They'd walked home, not saying a word, a hair's breadth from one another, their finger brushing, but not quite touching. The whole experience had been intoxicating, but Steve instinctively knew that something different waited for them in the safety of their own apartment.

He took a deep breath and turned the key in the lock, opening the door with it. He stepped inside and an instant later, Loki spun him around and pinned him against the coat closet, covering Steve's mouth with feverish, hungry kisses. Steve clutched Loki's shoulders and let himself be kissed by the demigod. He ran his hands, firm and steady, across Steve's his back, chest, and neck, leaving a trail of sparks in his wake. _Fireworks._ Impulsively, Steve wrapped one arm around Loki's waist and pulled their bodies flush against each other. Loki melted into him and Steve couldn't bite back a quiet moan as he felt Loki's tongue flicker out and met it tentatively with his own.

Steve movements became more certain as the demigod continued to devour his mouth. His mind flitted to the bedroom as Loki slipped his hand beneath Steve's shirt and stroked the warm skin of his lower back. Steve gasped at the touch and all at once it was all too much. He might be ninety-five, it might be the twenty-first century, but he was still a boy from the 1940s who had no idea what he was doing when it came to love and relations.

Steve gave Loki one last chaste kiss and pulled away. "I want this," he ran a hand down Loki's neck, "I want you, but this all unfamiliar territory for me and, if you don't mind, I'd like to take things slow."

Loki gaped at him and let out a ragged breath. "Of course," he agreed at last, placing reassuring kiss on Steve's cheek. "It's been quite some time since brought someone into my bed, as well. Plus," he leaned forward, so he could speak into Steve's ear, "you are well worth the wait."

Steve blushed. "I don't know about that," he argued, kissing Loki's smirk, "but, thank you."

Loki shook his head. "You have nothing to thank me for."

Steve's heart clenched at the soft, wonderstruck expression on the Loki's face. He tried to think of something to say, but couldn't find the words. Instead, he buried his hand in Loki's black hair and pulled him into languid kiss.

"I had a great time tonight, Loki," Steve whispered, eyes still closed. "Best birthday I've had in a long time."

"Who said it was over?" Loki asked with a mischievous grin, darting away from Steve and making his way towards the kitchen. "If Agent Hill is to be believed, we still need to take part in one of the key Midgardian birthday traditions."

Steve stared after him, amazed at the change in the demigod. A little unsteady on his feet, he plopped down on the couch and laughed, realizing what Loki meant. "You're not going to sing are you?"

"Absolutely not," Loki called from the kitchen, "I've heard the song you sing at birthday celebrations and it is atrocious, but I do come baring cake." He reappeared in the doorway with a small cake, a nine and five candle glowing in the center. "I made it myself." Loki set the cake down in front of Steve. "Now if my information is correct, you now must blow out the candles and make a wish."

Steve gazed down at the lopsided homemade chocolate cake and back up at Loki's blue-green eyes shining in the candlelight. _What else could I want?_ He sucked in a breath and blew out the candles with ease.


	5. Part 5

_And now for a little cherry on top. A new morning routine for Steve and Loki._

* * *

"Good morning, Washington DC," the clock radio blared into the quiet of the bedroom, "did you enjoy the fireworks?"

Steve blushed at the double meaning of the question before his stomach flipped. He and Loki had shared an innocent goodnight kiss in the hallway before going to bed, but in the harsh light of day Steve worried that something had changed overnight. Up until yesterday, he and Loki had been friends, nothing more, and that had all changed in a single instant under the fireworks. _What happens now?_

He wasn't going to solve anything hiding in his room, so Steve took a deep breath and got out of bed. Pulse racing, he wandered into the kitchen to find Loki bent over a leftover piece of cake, a cup of coffee, and his book.

"Good morning," Steve greeted him, trying to seem more at ease than he felt.

Loki looked up and gave him one his high wattage smiles. "Good morning," he said and wrapped his arm around Steve's waist. "How did you sleep?"

At the touch, the knot in his stomach loosened and as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he draped his arm across Loki's shoulders. "Really well," he admitted, "I haven't slept that soundly in sometime."

Loki tipped his face up towards him. "There's more cake and coffee if you want some."

Steve stared down at his upturned face, the gentle curve of lip and longed to lean down to kiss him. _I can do that now_. He took in a breath, ducked his head, and touched light kiss to Loki's lips.

He felt Loki sigh as he leaned into the touch, returning the gentle pressure. "So breakfast?" he mumbled, pulling back a fraction.

Forehead resting against Loki's, Steve smiled. "Cake and coffee sound great."


End file.
